Thu, 5 Aug 2010, 11:00 PM This Family Loves Those Mopars

By Bob Frey Photo copyright 2010 Auto Imagery, Inc.

David Bogner vs. Henry Sliwinski '10 Mile-High Nationals final.

Take nothing away from any other brand of car, but over the course of the years there has been something about the Mopars that seem to get people excited. It doesn't seem to make any difference if it's in a professional class or the sportsman ranks, the Mopar fans are loyal and they love to see their drivers win. Whether it's "Big Daddy" Don Garlits running a 392-cubic inch Hemi or the annual Hemi Challenge at Indy, those big, honkin' Hemi cars are fan favorites. But it's not just the big-block cars that the fans love. A small 340 or even a 426 wedge-engine all seem to attract attention. And when the race is the Mopar Mile-High Nationals it seems like Chrysler fans come out of the woodwork. At this year's race that was the case. From the time the big Mopar block party began on Thursday until they rolled Allen Johnson's Dodge into the winner's circle, it was a great weekend to be a Mopar fan. David Bogner, who had won the Denver race in 2007 in a Dodge, did it again this year when he beat Henry Sliwinski to take the Super Stock title at Bandimere Speedway. And while this was the second win for David at the Colorado track, it was the third win for the family since his dad, Marlin, won it back in 1980. It seems like the Bogners, like a lot of other families, love running their Mopars at Denver, or anywhere for that matter.

Bogner vs. Ryan McClanahan in '07 Mile-High Nationals final.

David Bonner is, like so many other racers these days, following in his father's footsteps. But while you can say that, you can also say that the younger Bogner is making a nice nitch for himself. Over the past few years he was won three national events, been to the final round at two more and been to the final round at a dozen divisional races. He has a couple of Division 5 championships to his credit along with top ten finishes in two of the past four years. And with all of that, he still can't say that he has been as successful as his father, Marlin. "Dad won the World Championship in 1980 and he's got a very nice trophy case at home," David said. "I guess I still have a goal and that's to get one of the really big trophies like he has." Marlin won the championship when he beat John Dusenbery in the final round at the old Ontario Motor Speedway. After qualifying third in the Stock Eliminator field Marlin beat some of the best drivers in the country to secure the win. Since then he has been racing, running the family business, and, apparently, helping David learn the ropes. "I guess I got all of my racing talent from him" David said. "I think it was pre-destined that I would race, but not necessarily that I would do well." That's a modest comment from the thirty-two year old who went to school for mechanical engineering. "I wanted to apply what I learned to racing, kind of like what Warren Johnson did," he said. Today David works as a machinist and he continues to race and win in one of the sport's toughest classes, and the fact that he does it with a car that is an unusual

Marlin Bogner in 1980

combination and runs in a class that most people couldn't even identify makes his success all the more impressive. "Our car runs in the SS/CS class," he said. "That's a class that is still based on cubic inches and weight, but it also means you have to run a small-block 'true' wedge-style engine." Oh, now I get it. Called a Super Stock Modified Stock car, the little Dodge Daytona that David drives has been in the family for a long time. "Actually Chrysler gave it to dad to run as a race car back in 1992. He raced it originally and finished 6th in the points in1996 and then I took over in 1997 and I've raced it ever since." While this is the most famous car it isn't the only car that David has raced. "I drove a Dodge Avenger for two years and won my first division championship with it." He also says that his father, known for his string of very successful Mopar entries, also drove a, perish the thought, Chevy once. "Yeah, he borrowed a local farmer's Camaro once and drove it. It's not like we have anything against the other cars, it's just that this is what we have the most of so it's what we race." Makes sense to me.

Marlin Bogner

While he doesn't have any of his old cars, including the Dodge Demon that he won with at Ontario, Marlin does have a lot of great memories. "Dad owned several 1963 and 1964 cars he sold his last one a few years ago," David added. "It was a Max-wedge car and he just couldn't see racing a car of that value." But don't think that means that the Bogners are down-sizing." We just bought Jim Hale's '68 car and we'll be racing that soon." But first things first. This weekend the Denver champ will be in Cordova for the Division 5 event and then he'll head to Brainerd for the national event up there next week, and while he has had good luck at the Mile-High Nationals, Cordova and Brainerd seem to have his number. "These are the only two tracks where I've gone and not been able to run," David said. "Brainerd has claimed multiple rocker arms and spun bearings and I've had to come home without racing. And at Cordova I've had water leaks and didn't run. Dad always did well at Brainerd but I guess that's one thing he didn't pass down to me."

Marlin Bogner and crew celebrate 1986 Brainerd win.

When they aren't racing the Bogners both go about their daily routines. For dad that means running Bogner Automotive, a company that does engines and transmissions for other racers, mostly in and around the Division 5 area. For David it means returning to his day job, but he's always thinking about racing. "I absolutely love it," he said. "Even the drives, which will be about 400 miles this week and then a little more than 700 next week, don't really bother me. I just like racing." Like every other racer David admits to having one lucky round en route to his win in Denver. "Yeah, it happened early when Dan Fletcher fouled out against me in the first round. He's very good and to get by him was big." From there be beat Gary Stinnett and Jason Stoll before getting the bye run to the finals against Sliwinski. His win meant that David would have another trophy to put in the family trophy case, and when you consider that, between them, they have won almost thirty NHRA national and divisional events, it better be a big case. "Actually, dad and I just separated ours and I have to admit that his looks pretty good, especially that big one for winning the World Championship." Who knows, if David, who is

David and crew celebrate '10 Mile-High Nationals win.

currently in the top twenty in the national standings, can do well at two tracks where he has historically struggled, maybe he'll inch closer to one of those big trophies of his own. "We'll just have to wait and see what happens. We don't set out to run for the championship, but if things go our way we could head west at the end of the year." Hey, it worked for dad in 1980, so who knows what lies ahead for David in 2010. One thing is for sure, when you see the Bogners race, David, Marlin or David's Uncle Jim, you'll be able to pick them out, because they'll be the ones in the very familiar Mopars, and you can usually find them in the winner's circle.

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